Teen arrested for blowing up soda machine on Mission Rock Road

A Santa Paula teenager accused of blowing up a soda machine with a homemade pipe bomb at a Mission Rock Road business could face felony charges stemming from the weekend incident.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesA Santa Paula teenager accused of blowing up a soda machine with a homemade pipe bomb at a Mission Rock Road business could face felony charges stemming from the weekend incident.According to a Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman, the unidentified 16-year-old boy was arrested about midnight Sunday, March 22 on suspicion of blowing up a soda machine about 8:30 p.m. The machine was located outside Tri County Auto Dismantling, a salvage yard located at 950 Mission Rock Rd. just west of Santa Paula.

The boy and another unidentified juvenile allegedly used industrial chemicals to make the powerful bomb, then they inserted it into a soda machine at the salvage yard - which was closed - to see how it would work. When it went off the pipe bomb blew apart the soda machine, throwing debris more than 200 feet across the street. No one was injured in the blast.Residents who live in a mobile home about one-quarter mile away from the business told investigators the blast shook their home, and they described a vehicle leaving the area. The information led to the arrest of the juvenile on suspicion of felony possession of a destructive device, felony use of a destructive device and felony vandalism before he was released to his parents.Another potential suspect - like the arrested boy a high school student - is still being investigated. Investigators suspect the boys may have purchased the chemicals for the bomb online and are investigating the motive of the incident, although it appears it was a prank, albeit one with potentially dangerous or even life threatening results.